The Hindu : Front Page : Protests and seminars held to mark Human Rights Day in J&K

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 11, 2006
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Protests and seminars held to mark Human Rights Day in J&K

Special Correspondent

Civilian critically wounded in Army firing

— Photos: Nissar Ahmad and Shanker Chakravarty

AGAINST VIOLATIONS: Supporters of JKLF (Yaseen Malik group) clash with police during a demonstration on World Human Rights Day in central Srinagar on Sunday. (right) Kashmiri Pandits took out a rally in New Delhi.

SRINAGAR: As protests and seminars marked the Human Rights Day in Jammu and Kashmir with separatists urging withdrawal of "black laws" giving impunity to security forces, troops of the 36 Rashtriya Rifles shot at and critically wounded a civilian in south Kashmir triggering a massive demonstration.

While Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq stressed the need to improve the human rights situation, hard-line separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani said the "Army should withdraw and a solution to the Kashmir problem should be found in accordance with United Nations Resolutions."

A 22-year-old youth Manzoor Ahmad, who was on his way to open his shop in Mir Bazaar area had an altercation with troops when they stopped him. The verbal duel led to firing and Ahmad was injured in the abdomen. He was shifted to a Srinagar hospital in a critical condition.

The police have registered a case. "We have registered a case against the Army," S.P. Kulgam S.P. Pani told The Hindu .

Spokesman for the 15 Corps headquarters, Col. Hemant Juneja, said, "The incident is being investigated. Necessary disciplinary action against the personnel will be taken if found guilty."

Silent procession

In Srinagar, a number of protests against `human rights violations' were organised by separatist parties. Yasin Malik's JKLF held a silent procession from Maisuma, where his party has its headquarters. JKLF activists distributed an open letter to media persons.

Signed by Mr. Malik and addressed to the U.N. Secretary-General, it said, "Atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir have increased rapidly despite the slogan of `zero tolerance' by the Prime Minister of India."

Rallies by Pandits

Special Correspondent from New Delhi writes:

Hundreds of displaced Kashmiri Pandits took out rallies in several parts of the country to highlight the plight of the community after their migration from the Valley more than 16 years ago.

Organised by Roots in Kashmir — an initiative of the displaced youth of the Valley — the aim was to educate the peace-loving people of the country and the world about the Pandits and the atrocities terrorists inflicted on them. This was also to highlight the destruction of their homes, institutions, schools, temples and culture.

The participants said that the Union and the State Governments had failed in protecting their human rights.

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